Southern Wild Distillery toasts overseas awards

Top Drop: Award-winning Southern Wild Distillery owner George Burgess in the Devonport distillery with a gin cocktail. Picture: Brodie Weeding.

Ecstatic Devonport distiller, George Burgess, is toasting an international accolade awarded to the gin label he established just last year.

Mr Burgess announced on social media his Dasher + Fisher Mountain Gin was voted best gin at an overseas competition.

He was in Hong Kong to receive the trophy and gold medal for the Best London Dry Gin at the 2017 Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine and Spirit Competition.

“We are beyond thrilled with the announcement that the industry’s most highly respected competition has announced us as the winner of the best gin category, and we are bursting at the seams with pride,” Mr Burgess posted to Facebook.

“Even more overwhelming is that there were 247 per cent more gin entries this year compared to last year.

“We also are overwhelmed to share with you that our Dasher + Fisher Ocean Gin has been awarded silver in the gin-contemporary style category.

“Finally, our Dasher + Fisher Meadow Gin has been awarded bronze in the gin-contemporary style category. What a dream.”

Mr Burgess only quit his career as a food scientist to make his distinctively Tasmanian gin range a year ago.

He also designs and sells copper stills to other spirit makers.

Southern Wild Distillery employs 11 people at the cocktail bar and cellar door which opened inside a converted loading bay in Fenton Way just after Christmas.

A brand new distillery is under construction as part of stage one of the Devonport City Council’s Living City urban renewal project and should be finished in January to move into.

In October, Mr Burgess said sales were consistently good with steady increases through the year and in September he reported six months worth of sales in a month.

His main goal was to produce spirits using the best local produce to embrace Tasmania’s seasonal flavours and coastal terroir.

Mr Burgess said by making a quality product it would stand the test of time and outlive drinking trends.

He recently launched two new gins using his favourite damson plums and sloe berries.